Seed of Redemption
by ahatake-san
Summary: DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, Cover by Railyce. SPOILERS: NS ep. 476-500, The Last: Naruto the Movie, Boruto. This story follows Sasuke and Sakura on their travels after the war, during the "blank period". Sakura joins Sasuke as he tries to atone for his past, not realizing that it won't be easy. [Canon until towards the end] Rated M for language and lemon(s) in later chapters.
1. The Return

THE RETURN

Sakura glances over at the blurry red alarm clock numbers sitting atop her nightstand: _12:00_. Rain drops beat the roof rhythmically, ushering her to return to the dreamland. But, she can tell, sleep isn't going to come easily.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun."

It's been over three years since she last saw him. He had worn a firm, yet reassuring expression at the entrance gates of Konoha. The sun shone down on his black cloak which was absent of the Uchiha crest. She had so badly wanted to grab his hand and urge him not to go, but she knew better. Sakura wasn't that obsessed genin anymore. She had changed, grown. Everyone had.

A soft rapping at her window pulls her out of her zoned, half-dreamy state. She looks at the clock once more: _1:35._

 _Was I really reminiscing for that long?_

She grabs a clean, oversized shirt from the messy pile on her chair and slides it over her skimpy pajamas. Another knock, more insistent. She yawns, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming!"

 _Geesh, who could be at my window at this hour?_

Sakura opens the curtains, expecting to find a worried Naruto going on about something Hinata-related that he doesn't understand. Instead, the face staring back at her through the glass makes her breath hitch. She pushes open the window.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura manages, "What are you doing here?"

Her ex-teammate shifts uneasily, his lone arm rubbing the back of his neck. "Can I come in?"

Sakura steps aside, watching him sit on the windowsill and remove his sandals before stepping down. His clothes are drenched, and jet-black strands of hair cling fiercely to his face. A giggle escapes her lips.

Sasuke grunts softly, cheeks reddening slightly, "What?"

"Nothing. You just… well… you look kinda silly with your hair all pressed flat. That's all." Sakura's smile grows, and Sasuke's brows furrow.

"Tch. Yeah, well you have bedhead, _loser,_ " he responds, a sly smile on his lips.

She gasps, and her hands shoot up to try and cover her hair. She can feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"I thought you only called Naruto that…"

"Relax. I was just messing with you," Sasuke says after seeing her reddened face. He removes his dripping-wet cloak and saunters into her living room, Sakura following his footsteps. "Is it alright if I hang this here?" He points to the hooks beside her front door. Sakura only nods while not-so-covertly staring at the place where his left arm used to be. She still isn't used to the fact that he only has one arm now. The Uchiha waits for her eyes to wander back up to his own. He can't blame her for staring because he almost couldn't take his eyes off her either. She had matured quite a bit. Her notorious pink hair now fell neatly along her delicate jawline. He also couldn't help but notice that her frame had filled out, too. He blushes. "So…yeah. Naruto convinced me to come back to the village to celebrate my birthday. I got here faster than I expected and didn't know where to go."

"Well, you're always welcome here," Sakura smiles. Just then, Sasuke's stomach growls. His eyes widen in both surprise and embarrassment. The kunoichi breaks into laughter before offering him something to eat.

"Yeah… I guess I should."

A familiar smell fills the room as Sakura grills tomatoes. Sasuke's stomach grumbles louder, causing the pink-haired kunoichi to laugh again.

"Hn."

After finishing, she sets the plate of food in front of Sasuke who quickly consumes everything on the plate. He really missed home cooking.

"Thank you. I, uh, guess I should get going." Sasuke gets up but is tugged back down.

"You, uhm, you can stay… if you want, Sasuke-kun."

His brows raise slightly, pondering if it was acceptable to sleep alone in the same place as a woman he wasn't married to. He already had a bad reputation. He didn't want Sakura to be dragged down because of him. He's about to decline when Sakura beats him to it.

"I have a shift at the hospital soon, so you'd be here by yourself. You can have the bed too, if you'd like. I won't be home until later in the morning."

"Sakura- "

"I insist. You've had a long journey and we haven't seen you for a while. Besides, it's your birthday!"

He realizes there's no point in arguing, so he nods. After Sakura leaves, he makes his way back to the bedroom she pointed out. He removes the rest of his clothes and decides to take a quick shower. His sore muscles relax under the hot water as he washes the dirt and grime off his toned body. He searches for shampoo, finding only Sakura's vanilla-scented one.

"Tch. Now I'm going to smell like Sakura." Secretly though, he loves the smell. He never liked sweets but for some reason, this was comforting.


	2. Vanilla

VANILLA

"Go home, Sakura," Tsunade urges. "It's been a long shift."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Sakura removes her blood-soaked gloves and throws them in the biohazard bin. She sighs.

 _It really has been a long shift._

A group of travelers had been caught in a mudslide just outside the village. Several were critically injured and required immediate surgery. In fact, she was almost out of chakra.

 _I don't think Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san, and I have all worked the same shift since the war ended._

On the walk home, Sakura catches her reflection in a store's window. She notices just how awful she looks. She has bags under her eyes and dried blood in her hair. She can't wait to draw a warm bath and just relax. A warm breeze blows as she walks up to her apartment complex. The sun shines down happily on the civilians milling about Konoha's streets. Sakura smiles tiredly and closes the front door behind her.

"Sasuke-kun's sandals are still here? I thought he would have left by now." Sakura tip-toes back to her bedroom where a passed out Sasuke is still lying. She giggles, covering him back up with the blankets he had tossed off during the night. Afterwards, the kunoichi picks out a fresh pair of pajamas and makes her way to the bathroom.

Sakura peels off her uniform as the tub fills with water.

She slumps down in the water, making bubbles with her mouth. Out of the blue, a stinging pain between her shoulder blades causes her to wince.

"Ow… what on…" She clumsily grabs a mirror from one of the messy sink drawers. "I don't remember getting a cut there." The medical ninja stretches her arms back as far as they can go, emitting green chakra in hopes of reaching it.

 _It's no use. It'll be fine._

She washes the blood out of her shoulder-length hair. "That's better."

She drains the water and stands, reaching for her towel in the place she always sets it, but nothing's there.

"Damn. I forgot to get a towel. I'll have to sneak into my room. That shouldn't be a problem, right? I am a jounin after all." Sakura eyes her bare body in the steamy mirror before quietly stepping out of the bathroom. As she grabs a towel, Sasuke stirs, mumbling something incoherent. She quickly wraps the cloth around herself.

"Sakura? What are…" Sasuke sits up, rubbing his eyes which immediately widen upon seeing Sakura half-naked. Sakura freezes, a familiar blush painting her cheeks. She turns around, not wanting to see Sasuke's expression. "Oh, uh sorry…I didn't…" Sasuke's gaze lingers a moment longer before turning away. "I didn't know you were getting dressed." Sakura remains silent while he gets out of bed and walks over, eyes still trained on the hardwood floor. "You have a cut on your back," he adds, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, I couldn't reach my back to heal it. It should be okay."

"Do you want me to? I mean… I can put some healing ointment on it."

"You don't have to."

Sasuke looks back at Sakura, "I want to."

The kunoichi turns around to see Sasuke, bare chested, looking back at her. His eyes are focused on her own, never wandering elsewhere. Sasuke finds her jade irises the most enchanting after all.

"Sit on the bed," Sasuke urges. "I'll get the medicine."

Sasuke returns, container in hand, and sits next to Sakura. The Uchiha notices her visibly tense shoulders. He sets the ointment on his knee and skillfully extracts a small amount onto his fingers. The shinobi inhales her vanilla shampoo, the scent bewitching him again. He swallows, ignoring the deviant thoughts occupying the back of his head. He gently rubs the cream onto her wound. Sakura gasps when he first touches her skin.

"Sorry," Sasuke says. Then, as if reading the girl's mind, adds, "You should relax your shoulders. There's no need to be nervous around me. I'm not going to try anything." At this, her shoulders drop slightly.

"Thank you. I'm not used to having someone else treat me." Sakura knew Sasuke would never be disrespectful but being so close to him made her more anxious than ever. After he finishes, Sasuke leaves so she can get dressed. He heads to the bathroom to change into his own clothes and get himself ready before meeting Naruto. He promised his best friend they would spar.

"I'm leaving now to go meet Naruto. I'll see you later," the Uchiha says. "Thanks again." He offers a smile and walks out the door.

xxx

"You bastard! Where have you been?" Naruto yells, a fierce look on his bloodied face. The jinchūriki stands back up, gathering a ball of chakra in his right hand. He charges at Sasuke, who has a chidori emitting lightning bolts from his palm. The pair's jutsu collide, creating a huge blast that sends them both violently flying back into trees.

"Admit it. You'll never beat me," Sasuke replies cheekily, ignoring the question.

"Never! I won't let you win just because it's your birthday. Believe it!"

"Tch," Sasuke grins, happy to be back fighting with Naruto.

* * *

 ** _Thank you to everyone who is reading this story! I appreciate the likes/follows/reviews. :-) I know the chapters are fairly short, however I plan on updating at least 2-3x a week so hopefully that makes up for it! Feel free to message me with any comments or questions. Enjoy!_**


	3. Birthday Celebration

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

"Why are we going to Shushu-ya for Sasuke-kun's birthday?" Hinata asks Naruto as they walk to the restaurant holding hands.

"Well he wasn't here to celebrate everyone turning 20, so I thought maybe we could do it tonight!"

Naruto and Hinata walk in to the restaurant and spot their friends. Ino and Sai are sitting next to each other, talking. Kiba is arguing with Shikamaru about something while Shino listens quietly. Choji has already begun eating. Lee is going on about his training while Tenten sighs, wishing Neji was there. Sakura and Sasuke have yet to show up.

"Hey everyone," Naruto says, interrupting everyone.

"Naruto! Hinata!" Ino rushes over, hugging them both. "I feel like I haven't seen you guys in forever."

"But I just got flowers from your shop earlier this week," Hinata says.

"Pfft. It's still been too long."

Just then, Sasuke walks in. Almost too quiet to be noticed.

"Sasuke-kun! How have you been?" Ino wraps her arms around his neck, but he doesn't hug back. He remains stiff until she releases him.

"I'm fine." Ino smiles at that and sits back down at the table.

"There you are! We've been waiting for you. Do you know where Sakura-chan is?" Naruto questions.

"What? Why would I know?" Sasuke defends.

Naruto squints, noticing Sasuke's change in demeanor, then pulls him aside.

"Hey! Get off me."

"Why did you get all defensive when I asked about Sakura? You better not have done something to her, you asshole."

Sasuke's face darkens in thought. "Relax. Sakura's fine."

"Then what is it?"

Sasuke sighs. He can't keep anything from Naruto. "I spent last night at her apartment."

Naruto's eyebrows shoot up simultaneously, "You did? Is that why you were late to our sparring match?"

"Yeah."

Naruto looks Sasuke up and down for signs of _anything._ "Hmm… okay. Well, let's join the others. Sakura-chan should be here soon." And to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto leaves it at that.

xxx

An hour and a half later and Sakura still hasn't shown up. The group had decided to go ahead and order an hour ago, not being able to stand Choji's complaints. Everyone raises their glass as Shikamaru gives a toast to growing up.

"This is a drag, but I guess I have no choice. He holds his sake up, "To us. We've come so far since the Academy. I wouldn't have it any other way. And to Asuma-sensei and Neji." Everyone smiles fondly and clinks their glasses together. "To Asuma-sensei and Neji."

Sasuke looks at the clock and begins worrying. It wasn't like Sakura to be this late. He finishes the sake Naruto had ordered for him, sets money on the table to cover everyone's dinner, and gets up.

"Sasuke! Where are you going?" Naruto yells.

"I have some business to attend to," the Uchiha manages and walks out.

"We haven't even given him our present. I wonder why he left in such a hurry," Hinata says.

"That's because he's going to look for Sakura," Shino adds.

"What? How would you know?" Kiba counters.

"Isn't it obvious? He smelled like Sakura and he got defensive when Naruto asked him where she was. Not to mention, he barely touched his food. No doubt he's concerned about her."

The group silently stare at their odd friend, realizing he's probably right.

"I saw Sakura going into the North Forest earlier today. Maybe she is still there," Sai says with an inappropriate smile.

Ino sighs dramatically, "Sai! Why didn't you say something?"

Looking perplexed, he replies, "I just did."

"I'll catch up with Sasuke to let him know," Naruto adds, suddenly feeling worried as well. He jogs outside, not sure which direction Sasuke went. He puts his hands together, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he yells. 20 clones appear in front of him. "I want each of you to spread out and look for Sasuke. Let me know when you've found him. Disperse!" Naruto glances up at the moon. "We're coming for you, Sakura-chan."

xxx

"Where am I?" Sakura blinks, slowly opening her heavy eyelids. The back of her head is pounding. She lifts herself up off the cold, hard ground and looks around. It's pitch black except for the sliver of moonlight shining into her room from the barred window. Her hands are bound together with chakra-blocking restraints. Suddenly, the urge to puke wells up in her throat and she vomits in the corner. She wipes her mouth, "Was I poisoned?" She beats the cuffs against the floor to no avail before passing out again.

When she wakes back up, she finds herself in a room, chained to the ceiling, with two unfamiliar men. One of their headbands is visible.

 _Leaf shinobi?_

"Looks like she's awake," a husky voice, belonging to the brawny shinobi, snarls. "Perfect. Let's begin."

* * *

 _ **Hello! I wasn't sure at first where I wanted to go with this chapter but ended up here. Don't worry! Sakura isn't going to just be a "damsel in distress". The next chapter will cover where Sakura is and Sasuke and Naruto's mission to find her. I should be uploading within the next few days. Again, please let me know if you have any questions or comments! Enjoy :-)**_


	4. Eye for an Eye- Updated!

_**WARNING: Some violence and sexual abuse. It isn't too graphic, but skip this chapter if you need to! I'll post a brief summary on the next chapter so you don't miss anything.**_

* * *

EYE FOR AN EYE

A drop of blood falls from Sakura's bottom lip from where her canine bit into it. One of the shinobi, lanky with dark hair, sidekicks her abdomen, and the sound of cracking ribs echoes throughout the empty underground hideout. She sucks in her breath, trying not to make a sound which would only satisfy them.

"Trying to be tough, huh?" The same man grabs a fistful of her hair and yanks her head back. "By the end of this, you'll wish you'd never met that Uchiha scum." Sakura spits in his face. "Bitch! You're gonna regret that." He rips off her uniform so she's hanging in nothing but her panties. Her captors chuckle menacingly. Bruises have already formed all over her pale skin. "You try to embarrass me, I'll do the same to you." A tear forms in Sakura's eye and falls down her cheek. Sakura notices that only the burly man is staring at her body while the other shinobi isn't even looking in her direction.

The larger man walks up so Sakura can feel the warmth emanating from his body. He brandishes a kunai at her throat and leans in further to whisper in her ear. "You're going to tell us everything you know about Sasuke Uchiha. And if you don't…" His other hand grips her hair and yanks her head down. "If you don't, I'll make sure you never forget my name: Masato Nishimura." He steps away from the kunoichi, now holding the herbs she was gathering for Sasuke's gift, and grins, "So, do you have anything to say?"

"I will never betray Sasuke. You should know that since you're a leaf ninja."

"Wrong answer." He effortlessly crushes the flowers in his hand. "Taro, untie her and lay her over there." The dark-haired man obeys, fumbling with the chains before roughly throwing her to the ground. Sakura uses this chance to hook her heels around her captor's ankles, causing him to fall. Her hands are still bound with chakra-sucking restraints, so it takes her a bit longer than usual to get to her feet. When she raises her head, cloudy from the multiple blows, she just barely dodges a punch. Taro stumbles again, cursing.

"I've had enough," Masato says, making a few quick hand motions. "Magnet Style: Floor Bind"! And as soon as he says this, Sakura feels like her feet weigh a thousand pounds each. She tries to move them but can't. Then, Taro makes his way over in one giant step and grabs her neck in one hand. He squeezes until Sakura can no longer feel oxygen in her lungs. Just as her face starts turning blue, he lets go, leaving the kunoichi gasping for air on the ground.

"You see, Masato here can magnetize anything as long as it's standing on rock. So don't bother trying to escape."

 _What do I do now? This shinobi named Taro appears to be blind but also seems like he can sense chakra exceptionally well. And the other one uses a really rare jutsu style._

xxx

"Hey, Sasuke! Wait up!" Naruto yells, jumping from branch to branch after Sasuke.

"There's no time. If we don't hurry, we could be too late."

 _It took too long to find their tracks, and I almost didn't see it. A piece of Sakura's headband in the forest. There was blood on it._

xxx

"What? Haven't you ever done this before, blossom?" Masato snickers, his breath warm on Sakura's neck as he bites down. His one hand is holding her hips down while the other roams freely. The pink-haired girl lays there quietly, picturing Team 7 to help keep her mind off what her captor is doing to her body. Just then, she hears the muscular man taking off his pants.

 _No._

Sakura begins struggling against the man's tight hold. Her elbow connects with his nose. "Get off me, you pervert!"

"Bitch! You are going to make this worth all the trouble you've caused." He punches Sakura, leaving her nearly unconscious. She groans. Masato covers her mouth with his hand and raises his head in the air. "Taro, what's that sound?"

"Someone's here. No, two people. Shinobi."

"Oh, good. It looks like Sasuke Uchiha is just in time."

Sasuke walks in, his eyebrows furrowed. Naruto follows, surprisingly breathing heavily. They both look over to see Sakura a heap on the floor, almost completely naked. A large man wearing a leaf shinobi headband is on top of her. Sasuke's eyes narrow, and his sharingan instantly activates.

"What the hell did you do to Sakura-chan?" Naruto asks, breaking the silence.

"Oh, nothing she doesn't deserve for associating herself with an _Uchiha,_ " Masato replies, standing up and putting his pants back on. "I think she really—" he starts again but is cut off when Sasuke punches his chest, sending him flying back into the wall.

"You'll pay for this," Sasuke hisses. Naruto rushes over to Sakura's side, picking her head up and laying it in his lap. Tears well up in his eyes, but he quickly wipes them away.

Sakura's eyes slowly open, "Naruto?"

"Yeah, it's me. You're gonna be okay now."

"You have to… the big shinobi uses magnet style. You have to be careful."

Naruto nods and looks up at Sasuke who's exchanging fists with the magnet style user, "Sasuke, did you hear that?" He nods, formulating a plan in his head.

"Well, I guess my secret's exposed. No matter," Masato says before completing his Floor Bind jutsu, leaving both Naruto and Sasuke unable to move. Taro walks over to a calm Sasuke. He looks him straight in the eye, throwing Sasuke a bit off guard, and says, "Do you remember me?"

Sasuke analyzes the shinobi, eyes landing on his hair which was the same color as his own. Then he suddenly sees a flashback.

 _He's travelling with Orochimaru when a leaf shinobi, almost identical to Itachi, appears out of nowhere on some low rank mission. Orochimaru, being in a playful mood at the time, decides to take the man's eyes, insisting that no one will believe a blind man even if he somehow manages to get back to the village._

Sasuke thought it was vile but did nothing to help. Now, this demon from the past has come back to haunt him. He can't blame the man for wanting revenge. "Yes," he responds.

"Good. Then you'll know why I'm going to take your eyes."

He reaches for Sasuke's sharingan but is too slow. The Uchiha dodges his hand, "Now, Naruto!"

Naruto makes a shadow clone and throws it at Taro, tackling him and pushing a rasengan into his chest. Sasuke then teleports so he's right behind Masato and pushes his sword through the shinobi's heart. He bends down to whisper in his ear, "You're not getting off that easy." And Sasuke activates his Mangekyo Sharingan, "Amaterasu!" Black flames slowly engulf Masato's body. His deafening screams echoe throughout the cave before fading into silence.

Sasuke stares for a moment at the place Sakura's captor had just disappeared from before walking over to her. He can't stand to look at her broken body. He takes off his cloak and covers up her up with it. He nods to Naruto who ties Taro's wrists together and puts him on his back. Sasuke uses susanoo to pick Sakura up gently, and then former Team 7 disappears into the shadows.


End file.
